Roy Ellefsen wrote:

>I don't have a recording of the Tschaikowsky Sym. 4.  What's your advice?
>Naxos has several.   I am partial to Naxos because, of course, money is
>indeed an object.  Anyone know them?  I am from Utah and am therefore
>partial to Abravanel and the USO.  Any advice there?   Or is there some
>other recording that you consider THE recording to have?

Try the 4th conducted by Mravinsky on Russian Disc RD CD 10 903, a volume
of The Mravinsky.  I've never really gotten into Tchaikovsky so I don't
have many recordings.  For me, his music has never had the energy and
grandeur of other Russian composers I enjoy.  Listening to Mravinsky
conduct the USSR Symphony Orchestra in a performance recorded in 1959,
however, there's an excitement and a bite to the music that I haven't
heard before.  Not really a fan of individual conductors, there's something
about Mravinsky's style that I find engrossing.  Also, try his recordings
of Shostakovich, real ear-openers for me.  There are 9 volumes of The
Mravinsky Collection on sale for $5.98 at www.salemusic.com, the web
site of Daedalus Books.  The usual disclaimers apply.

Ron Chaplin
Iselin, New Jersey, USA